Treason charges 'shocking'
2005-12-23 13:46
Addis Ababa - International press freedom watchdogs and the United States-funded Voice of America (VOA) have decried criminal charges filed against 22 Ethiopian journalists, including five VOA broadcasters, this week.
The 22 journalists are among 131 detainees accused of trying to foment a coup d'etat.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and VOA said the charges are an attempt by the Ethiopian government to intimidate independent media, and are part of a crackdown against opposition protests over disputed elections.
Ann Cooper, executive director of the CPJ said: "These charges are shocking and outrageous.
"They strike at the heart of Ethiopia's journalist community by criminalising essential work of the press. The government of prime minister Meles Zenawi is using legal means to suppress dissent, but it is increasingly behaving like an outlaw regime."
The CPJ has dispatched board members to complain about the situation to Ethiopia's ambassador to the US.
VOA broadcasts jammed
Sixteen of the 22 journalists were arrested in a government sweep last month, when violent protests broke out in and around the capital over alleged fraud in the May poll.
The other six, including the VOA employees, are out of the country and are to be tried in absentia.
VOA says the charges against its workers are bogus, adding its Amharic-language broadcasts into Ethiopia are being jammed.
VOA director David Jackson said: "These charges are false and are an obvious attempt to intimidate our broadcasters. The Voice of America has a worldwide reputation for the quality and reliability of our journalism and we stand by our reporters."
The 131 detainees also include the top 29 leaders of the country's main opposition group, the Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD).
All 131 were formally charged in Ethiopia's federal high court on Wednesday.
They have been accused of "conspiracy to overthrow a constitutional government by force".
Different groups of the accused face six additional counts, including treason, genocide, and "attacking the political or territorial integrity of the state".
RSF said it was deeply concerned by the situation, urging the United Nations to assess the charges and monitor the trial.